Looking for info on dad’s collection found in the attic. Any help appreciated

[Reverand]

You have some beautiful knives there, KyTeamster!

[bighomer]

All I got is WOW!!!!!! TIMES INFINITY.

[rwmoss1]

I’m editing these to make the tangs stand out if they look crazy. I haven’t cleaned these yet so they have some old dryer oil

Seems like you are not a knife collector or are not familiar with older collectable pocket knives. If you're not experienced, don't clean these knives. Improper cleaning could lower the collectable interest and value of the knives. Your Dad had some nice knives.

[philco]

Robert Wells produces a price guide for Case knives covering the 1970 ten dot knives, those made during the 1965-1969 USA era, and the 1940-1964 XX era. He is a major Case dealer and knows current values as well as anyone out there.

For the older Tested era knives, Tom McCandless has just recently released a new book that includes a price guide for that time frame and even older. Tom is a member here.

If you're interested, I will be glad to get you contact info for either one of these gentlemen or both. By the way, they are both Kentucky guys too.

[knifeaddict1965]

Someone on eBay gave me Robert’s info several months back I think. Any contacts or help I can get I’ll sure take it. I’ve noticed a few eBay sellers having pictures of a price list in their auctions but they seem to be pretty high compared to their asking prices. I called Richard’s Knife World that’s local to me awhile back but they charge by the hr for appraisals and I have too many to go that route. It shows he sold an old congress for $42,500 and I’m sure that was a screw up but I have the same knife and was curious but they wouldn’t even talk to me.

I sent you a PM, KyTeamster. The Bluegrass Knife Show is next weekend in Lexington KY and Robert will be there along with several other very knowledgeable collectors. If you live close to that area, it may be a good opportunity to get some info on your knives.

[stockman]

Robert would be the one to see if possible. Be worth your time. Harold

[Mumbleypeg]

I know everybody says not to clean or do anything to these knives and I’m not going to but how’s it possible that the same dealers on eBay have such old knives that seem to be perfect. I’ve got a lot in good shape but they don’t look shiny and new like eBay knives

If you read the post where the recommendation was made about not cleaning the knives, it was in the context of knowing (or not) what you are doing - “If you're not experienced, don't clean these knives.” If you don’t know how to properly clean them, an old otherwise valuable collectors piece can be damaged or even ruined. Many (not all) of those dealers on eBay selling shiny knives either know how to clean them or hire someone who knows how to do it for them. I’ve also seen knives listed on eBay that were over-buffed or otherwise damaged/ruined by someone who did not know what they were doing. Yes they’re “shiny” and new-looking to the inexperienced eye. But the corners are “rounded”, the grind lines are soft instead of sharp, etc.

Some advice about old knives, especially Case, based on your prior posts:

Some Case knives do not have shields, especially most older knives that have celluloid covers - such as the “greenish cracked ice looking one”. I’ve never heard anything about determining the age of a TESTED era knife based on the shape of the C in the tang stamp. There are a few other things that when present some, including me, believe to be clues that a knife is from early in the TESTED era. These include stamps on multiple blades, including the Tested XX in an oval or circle, and sometimes a pattern number stamp will be present.

Which brings up another thing about TESTED knives. Most do not have a pattern number stamp. That and the fact Case at that time made over 200 different patterns, some of which are near-identical except for the closed length (which can vary by as little as 1/4 of an inch on some patterns). So identification of TESTED XX patterns can sometimes be challenging. Having no pattern number can make accurate measurement of a knife’s closed length of paramount importance. Clear pictures of the knife, and all of its stamps, with blades open, and accurate closed length (use calipers if possible) are important pieces of information.

Hope this is helpful in your pursuit of identifying the knives.

Ken

[Mumbleypeg]

As far as the tested stamp I’ve seen different ones. Some have the C overlap the A and the line under and some have a short open C with a line and some with no line. Seems theyre all over with tang stamps

Indeed they are “all over”. That stamp, often called the “Case Circle C” stamp, was used by Case for at least twenty years (some believe 25+ years) during which time they made millions of knives, across over 200 different patterns. Some have wide blades, some have very narrow blades. Different versions of the stamp were required based on the “real estate” available on the tangs of those blades. Stamps were made by hand using the tools available at the time (before computers). When the stamp wore out, another had to be made. By hand in a machine shop. So there are a lot of variations - to think otherwise is to not understand “the nature of the beast”. And to compare the minute details of a given stamp with an artist’s rendering published in some book (or on a website) and expect them to be a match is unrealistic.

The web site Knifedb.com ($) has pictures of hundreds of different variations of the TESTED Circle C stamp, taken from verified authentic knives. Witcher’s book Counterfeiting Antique Cutlery has pages of photographs of authentic, as well as counterfeited, stamps. Which is why trying to authenticate a TESTED knife solely from its stamps, is typically a bad idea.

Ken

[GSPTOPDOG]

https://www.bing.com/search?pglt=41&q=c ... chart&cvid

[GSPTOPDOG]

As far as the tested stamp I’ve seen different ones. Some have the C overlap the A and the line under and some have a short open C with a line and some with no line. Seems theyre all over with tang stamps

Ken

Ken, as you mentioned there are variations of tang stamps. I can't find these ones exactly, but it looks to be closest to ones for 1940/5-65. The difference that I can see is in the "C", the other examples look a bit different. Any thoughts?

[Mumbleypeg]

I’m putting these things under a digital microscope and I can’t find any indentions from any other letters. If it was in bad shape I’d understand it not being visible but it’s barely scratched a little from opening and closing.

You’re overthinking this. Pocket knives marked TESTED XX, are believed to be made approximately 1920 - 1945-ish. There are no known records anywhere that support those dates - they are “guesstimates” based on anecdotal evidence such as recollections of Case employees. Nor are there factory records of when different variations of stamps within that time period were used. You can AI it all you want, but that’s how it is. Trying to define the age of a TESTED XX knife within that date range by using the stamp alone is a waste of time.

Same goes for the CASE XX stamped knives. Dates of use are from early-to-mid 1940s to 1964. That’s the best you’re going to get using stamps only.

Within both the TESTED XX and CASE XX eras, it is sometimes possible to determine if a knife was made early or late within those eras - the clues for that determination are NOT in the stamp. Where those clues exist are in other things like the materials used, other markings, factory catalogs/price lists, etc. Case instituted a yearly date code system in 1970 and has used it since. Prior to that, precise year of a knife’s manufacture based on its stamp is rarely if ever possible.

Ken

[Mumbleypeg]

As far as the tested stamp I’ve seen different ones. Some have the C overlap the A and the line under and some have a short open C with a line and some with no line. Seems theyre all over with tang stamps

Ken

Ken, as you mentioned there are variations of tang stamps. I can't find these ones exactly, but it looks to be closest to ones for 1940/5-65. The difference that I can see is in the "C", the other examples look a bit different. Any thoughts?

Sorry, I haven’t studied Case fixed blade knives enough to know anything, except up until 1965 the stamps used on them are different than those used for pocket knives. Also it seems reasonable to believe since Case did not keep records of when pocket knife stamps were used, they did not keep records for fixed blade knives either. They’re all derived from guesses based on old catalogs, employee recollections, etc. Limitations of stamp tooling would apply to both fixed blades and pocket knives - different stamps for different blade widths, tooling wear and replacement, contract manufacturing, and so on.

Ken

[Mumbleypeg]

Case has no factory records regarding stamps or dates when they were used. I've already explained the origin of published date code stamps. You can believe those charts on casexx.com if it makes you happy.

Ken

[RedRaiderRick]

To be fair he did say he had anxiety.

[Mumbleypeg]

Sorry you feel that way. I provided the info you requested and explained why there are differing stamps, and why you can't narrow down the dates of manufacture any further by simply looking at the stamps. I explained other ways you might narrow the dates more. Instead you continued posting more pictures of stamps.

Ken

[bestgear]

Sorry you feel that way

KyTeamster is history - we do not treat each other in the manner that was exhibited - thank you Ken for being such a gentleman and handling this in the manner in which we have all come to love .....and I actually learned something about Case tang stamps I'm sure others did as well.

[Mumbleypeg]

Thanks Tom. I was hoping to get beyond the stamps discussion and see the actual knives - aside from a couple of group photos with blades closed he never posted detailed pictures of them. Hope he’s able to find what he needs.

Ken

[bestgear]

Hope he’s able to find what he needs

as do I Ken - sometimes this happens but thank you for coloring inside of the lines and not polluting the sand in the sandbox

[GSPTOPDOG]

Ken

Ken, as you mentioned there are variations of tang stamps. I can't find these ones exactly, but it looks to be closest to ones for 1940/5-65. The difference that I can see is in the "C", the other examples look a bit different. Any thoughts?

Sorry, I haven’t studied Case fixed blade knives enough to know anything, except up until 1965 the stamps used on them are different than those used for pocket knives. Also it seems reasonable to believe since Case did not keep records of when pocket knife stamps were used, they did not keep records for fixed blade knives either. They’re all derived from guesses based on old catalogs, employee recollections, etc. Limitations of stamp tooling would apply to both fixed blades and pocket knives - different stamps for different blade widths, tooling wear and replacement, contract manufacturing, and so on.

Ken

Thanks Ken, for your response ... I find it interesting how the stamps are just a little off from the book and other sources that I have looked at. I never thought about different stamps for different blade widths, tooling wear and replacement, contract manufacturing, and so on. So, as per usual with AAPK, I learn something every time I log in.